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Another man experienced a burning sensation to his mouth and eyes when he was squirted with liquid by Whelan after he lowered the window of his car.

Whelan climbed into the car and demanded the car keys, but the victim took the keys and ran.

Finally he assaulted a woman and stole her handbag, throwing over her face what she thought was acid, but later said smelt more like ammonia, from a small aerosol with the spray nozzle removed.

She could feel liquid burning and stinging her skin and was unable to see out of her left eye. However, there was no permanent damage.

He also attempted to throw the liquid at her husband when he tried to intervene.

Gerard Whelan will spend at least 12 years in jail for his crimes (Image: Met Police)

In separate offences on Christmas Day 2016, Whelan pretended to be an undercover police officer to talk to a man sitting in a car in Goring Road, Palmers Green, before squeezing from a bottle of what the victim thought was acid into his eye, but which was later cleaned with saline wash with no lasting damage to his face or eye.

Whelan also threatened him with a screwdriver but was unable to drive the car away.

He then assaulted a second man in nearby Moffatt Road with the butt of a screwdriver four times while trying to get the keys to a car.

DNA from a crutch which Whelan was carrying linked him to the offence.

(Image: Met Police)

Whelan assaulted another woman, throwing her to the ground after she had started the engine of her car, hitting her with his crutch. He struck at her husband while holding a screwdriver, causing cuts to his hand.

“Whelan embarked on a series of horrifying offences against a raft of innocent and vulnerable members of the public, many of whom were lucky not to incur serious injury.

“Unfortunately several of the victims did sustain life changing injuries as a result of being sprayed with a noxious substance.

The victim has undergone a series of operations and skin grafts since the acid attack (Image: Met Police)

“One of these elderly ladies spent over eight weeks in hospital and now, some nine months later, still hasn’t returned to work or regained full mobility of both arms.

"The attached pictures show the extent of the injuries Whelan inflicted on her, after he had threatened to kill her and she had tried to escape.”

London Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reviewing lawyer Lily Saw said: “We charged Whelan with aggravated burglary and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, charges which allowed the court to have the full range of sentencing powers leading to today’s 18 year prison sentence.”

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